With a little help from offsetting – paying cash to compensate for shortcomings – Segro Logistics Park Northampton (SLPN) will be Segro’s first UK park to achieve net-zero carbon in construction.
SLPN, formerly known as Northampton Gateway, is a 450-acre logistics park that will have up to five million sq ft of distribution space and a new 35-acre rail freight terminal. Infrastructure works, costing £190m, have included a bypass of Roade village and improvements to the A45 and nearby Junction 15 of the M1.
Winvic Construction began a £107.5m infrastructure works contract in January 2021 and is now ready to put up sheds. .
The amount of embodied carbon in the base build has been reduced by an estimated 40%, client and contractor reckon, thanks to a combination of initiatives
More than 1.1 million recycled plastic milk bottles have being used for the site’s drainage system. Salvaged materials, including brick, metals, broken concrete and wood are being used across the development and all materials – almost five million cubic metres – have been retained on site for landscaping bunds.
The construction site is powered by hybrid generators while vehicles are fuelled by hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO). More than 250,000 litres of HVO have been used to date, saving an estimated 607 tonnes of carbon.
Concrete used on site has on average 35% less carbon than traditional mixes and the steel has at least 30% recycled content
An onsite concrete batching plant reduces waste and transport.
To be able to claim net zero status, Segro is giving an unspecified sum of money to several tree planting schemes, a peat bog restoration in northeast England and other initiatives. An initial 165,000 Verified Carbon Standard carbon credits have been purchased, for which it might have paid somewhere in the region of £500,000.
Andrew Pilsworth, Segro’s managing director for National Logistics, said: “Rapid advances in construction techniques and building design are enabling developers to deliver warehouse units more sustainably, but Segro Logistics Park Northampton will be the first time net-zero is achieved across an entire vast industrial site, including the delivery of all on-site and off-site supporting infrastructure.
“This is the result of a truly innovative approach from Segro and our partner Winvic to source recycled materials and embed the principles of the circular economy at all stages of the design and development process.”
Winvic technical services and sustainability director Arun Thaneja added: “We hope the scheme becomes a source of inspiration for net-zero in the construction industry.”
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